#64 of 1001 · October 3, 2020

Right now I’m revisiting the lovely Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by @johnlsteptoe. Though many publications, bookstores, and libraries classify it as a retelling of a traditional tale, the book is in fact an original story inspired by Xhosa folklore. The characters’ names are drawn from the Shona language and the elegant ink-and-watercolor illustrations are modeled on the landscape of Zimbabwe. In the construction of the plot, Steptoe makes use of the archetype of the Kind and the Unkind Girls, a folktale motif found the world over. #johnsteptoe #mufarosbeautifuldaughters #xhosa #shona #zimbabwe #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks